Pastor John Lindell of the James River Church in Springfield, Missouri, claimed on the congregation's livestream on March 15 that a "creative miracle" had taken place the day before at the church's Joplin location, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Lindell explained that "prayer team members" had prayed over Kristina Dines, who had had three toes amputated after her husband shot her in 2015. "As the ladies prayed for Krissy ... all three toes grew, and by that point, were longer than her pinky toe," Lindell said in the livestream. "Within an hour, nails began to grow on all the toes," he added. While Dines hasn't commented to the paper, she said in a video on Twitter that she saw the toes reforming. "Listen, do you understand? I can stand on tippy toes. No, I couldn't do that (before) because I didn't have toes to tippy on," Dines said. During the livestream, Lindell also suggested to parishioners that other miracles are coming: "... some people in this room -- you're gonna raise people from the dead. It's going to happen." Stay tuned. [Springfield News-Leader, 3/22/2023]

Weird Science

Australian company Vow has wowed the science world with a meatball made of meat cultivated from the genetic sequence of an extinct mammoth, the Associated Press reported on March 29. "This is not an April Fools' joke," said Tim Noakesmith, founder of the company. Using publicly available genetic information from the mammoth, along with data from the African elephant, Vow grew the cells in a lab. The large meatball -- somewhere between the size of a softball and a volleyball -- was displayed at the Nemo science museum in Amsterdam. "We wanted to get people excited about the future of food," Noakesmith said. "We thought the mammoth would be a conversation starter." People who were there as it was being cooked said it smelled good. [Associated Press, 3/29/2023]

News That Sounds Like a Joke

Here's an item you can share at this weekend's cocktail party: The animatronics at your local Chuck E. Cheese may be powered by a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Of 600 restaurants around the world, about 50 still use the floppies, BuzzFeed News reported. In related news, a robust subculture of Chuck E. fans builds and restores the iconic animatronics at home, and vintage memorabilia has a strong market online. Here's the less cheery news: Subway trains in San Francisco run on floppies, and Boeing 747s and 737s get their updates on the '80s-era medium, too. [BuzzFeed News, 3/7/2023]

Saw That Coming

The Irish Times reported that The Virgin Mary, the only alcohol-free bar in Dublin, closed its doors for good on March 27. But Dubliners, do not despair! The bar's owners said the closing "marks an exciting new chapter for us," as they will provide a mobile experience all around the island. "IRELAND GET READY TO DRINK DIFFERENT!" a social media post read. Slainte! [Irish Times, 3/28/2023]

Great Art

-- As you drive along the EastLink toll road in Melbourne, Australia, you might be tempted to spend the night at the Hotel EastLink, Oddity Central reported. But it's literally impossible to get a reservation there, because it's not really a hotel. It's a sculpture that was unveiled in 2007 by artist Callum Morton. At only 20 meters tall, the "hotel" isn't exactly a high-rise, and it sits in the middle of an empty field. But it fools passersby with lights that come on at night in the "rooms" -- enough that people try to call for reservations. "Putting something in a space that is slightly beguiling or is a little bit strange ... changes the way people think about art or practice," Morton said. [Oddity Central, 3/27/2023]

-- Wilma Flintstone, eat your heart out. French luxury brand Coperni has revealed a fall 2023 limited-edition handbag that'll put buyers back $43,000, Oddity Central reported on March 24. The Mini Meteorite Swipe Bag is made of a meteorite that fell to Earth 55,000 years ago. It weighs about 4 1/2 pounds empty, is too small to hold much, is nonrefundable and will take about six weeks to arrive. So yeah -- maybe yabba dabba don't? [Oddity Central, 3/24/2023]

Compelling Explanation

Springfield, Missouri, real estate agent Clifford Craig Edwards, 52, got caught up in the wild and crazy atmosphere of spring break in St. Petersburg, Florida -- at least that's what he told police after he was arrested on March 16 for felony criminal mischief, The Smoking Gun reported. Edwards was spied by the owners of a van standing near their vehicle and "making motions." When they confronted him, he laughed and ran away. The owners discovered their car had been vandalized with a butter knife, causing "extensive paint damage" to the tune of $1,000, police said. Edwards had put his number down on a wait list at a nearby restaurant, so police got in touch with him; that's when he said his actions were a "spring break mistake." He was released on a $2,000 bond. [Smoking Gun, 3/20/2023]

Wait, What?

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have found that using mindfulness to treat social anxiety is more effective when combined with sniffing body odor, Sky News reported. The body odor for the study was collected from people watching films, but it didn't matter whether they watched comedy or horror. Women who participated in a mindfulness session while exposed to the odor saw a 39% reduction in social anxiety, while those who did mindfulness alone saw only a 17% reduction. The scientists aren't sure why human sweat affects the response to the treatment. [Sky News, 3/26/2023]

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

"Sammie," a housekeeper in Tampa, Florida, is cleaning up with a twist on the usual duties of the job, the New York Post reported. She makes $300 an hour -- before tips -- to tidy up a home while topless. "Today I cleaned five houses ... I have a security guy who sits out in the car and waits for me just in case something happens," Sammie said on a TikTok video. With tips, she made more than $2,000 that day. "If you think you needed a sign, this is your sign," Sammie advised. "Topless maid cleaning service for the win." One commenter noted that the security guy had the sweetest deal: $800 to sit in the car. [NY Post, 3/7/2023]

Smooth Reaction

On March 24, a sheriff's deputy from Chisago County (Minnesota) pulled over a driver who had been speeding through Franconia Township, WFLA-TV reported. When the officer asked for the driver's identification, he was handed a driver's license and a "Get Out of Jail Free" card from a Monopoly game. "Unfortunately the state of Minnesota does not recognize this as a valid document," the sheriff's office posted on its Facebook page. "Points for the effort and humor though!" The driver was issued a "verbal warning" and allowed to proceed. [WFLA, 3/29/2023]

It's a Mystery

For about two weeks, the Highland Park neighborhood in Los Angeles has been inundated with Uber Eats deliveries that the residents didn't order, KTLA-TV reported on March 19. One man reported receiving 13 deliveries in one day. "It was bag after bag after bag, sometimes three at a time, 3 in the morning, 5 in the afternoon," said William Neal. He said the food was "a nice treat at first," but that he had been trying to find places that would accept donations of the food. Other delivery services have also been involved; Uber told the Los Angeles Times it is investigating the source of the mysterious deliveries. [KTLA, 3/19/2023]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

Already this year, representatives of a fictional country called the United States of Kailasa have participated in two meetings at the United Nations, Oddity Central reported. Founded by Indian fugitive and "supreme pontiff of Hinduism" Nithyananda Paramashivam, the virtual nation claims to be a sovereign state for Hindus who have been "persecuted for over a decade." In January, Kailasa suggested it had been officially recognized by the United States of America through a sister-city agreement with Newark, New Jersey, but U.S. authorities later rescinded the arrangement. A U.N. representative explained the country's access by saying the meetings are open to the public. [Oddity Central, 3/13/2023]

Awesome!

How's your bracket holding up? If it's busted, here's some other basketball news that might cheer you up. Sporting goods company Wilson is reinventing the basketball, Oddity Central reported on March 13, with a new prototype that doesn't require inflation. The Wilson Airless Prototype uses a "research-grade" polymer material to achieve the necessary bounce; the surface is a lattice design that keeps the traditional binding pattern so players can grip the seams of the ball more easily. There are still kinks to work out, including how to manage small objects that can get inside the ball. [Oddity Central, 3/13/2023]

Florida

A flamboyant woman named Ashley Cream went before the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board on March 2 with a pressing concern: She suggested that March 10 should be designated Sugar Daddy and Mommy Appreciation Day. WFLA-TV reported that Cream, accompanied by an elderly man in a wheelchair, started her appeal by telling board members they were "looking absolutely fabulous, a little bit serious." She went on to say that sugar daddies and mommies are "responsible for college educations, cars, homes, rents, jets, Birkin (bags) and the occasional body enhancement" -- though she claimed to be "all natural" as she gestured toward her chest. Councilman Arnold Sevell replied that her idea is "a city council issue," and she and her companion left the meeting. [WFLA, 3/10/2023]

Least Competent Criminals

-- Nothing went right for a carjacker in East Memphis, Tennessee, on March 10, WREG-TV reported. An unnamed 22-year-old victim pulled into his own driveway that night, only to have a man yank the driver's door open and point a gun at him. He asked for the victim's wallet and keys to the 2006 Honda Element, then tried to back out of the driveway, but as he did so, he rolled down the window. That's when the victim noticed the thief's gun didn't have a barrel, so he reached in and punched the carjacker in the face, causing the car to clip the side of the house and run into a pole. The carjacker jumped out and ran away; police were able to gather prints from the car and a recovered phone, but no arrests have been made. [WREG, 3/13/2023]

-- As authorities in Gainesville, Georgia, searched the home of 75-year-old Alan Neil Thur on March 14 after receiving a tip that Thur had child pornography on his computer, Thur sat at his computer ... "viewing five images of child pornography," Hall County Sheriff's deputies wrote in a report. WSB-TV reported that Thur was charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and booked into the county jail. [WSB, 3/16/2023]

Oh, Canada

Fans of our favorite rude gesture, rejoice! Flipping the bird is a protected, "God-given" right in Canada, NPR reported, after Judge Dennis Galiatsatos ruled on Feb. 24 that "offending someone is not a crime." The decision stemmed from a court case between two un-neighborly neighbors in a Montreal suburb. "The complainants are free to clutch their pearls in the face of such an insult," Galiatsatos said. "However, the police department and the 911 dispatching service have more important priorities to address." [NPR, 3/10/2023]

Suspicions Confirmed

On March 20, police officers were called to a home in Mill Creek, Washington, on a report of items stolen from the house, Fox13-TV reported. As they investigated, they discovered someone was living in the home's upstairs loft -- with a bed, drug paraphernalia and half-eaten food. The oblivious homeowners did say they had noticed the smell of cigarette smoke. Police suggested the homeowners wait until the person returned, and it didn't take long: On March 21, they arrested Daniel Tomoiaga, 24. In his possession, they found the stolen items, along with meth and fentanyl. No word on how long he'd been staying at the home. [Fox13, 3/23/2023]

The Tech Revolution

Artificial intelligence has infiltrated television news in China, Oddity Central reported. Ren Xiaorong, a virtual news anchor, was introduced on March 12 to viewers of People's Daily. "For 365 days, 24 hours, I will be reporting the news for the whole year, round the clock, without rest," (Redundant) Ren told viewers. "Whether at news sites or back in the studio, you will always see me." She has absorbed the talents of "thousands of news anchors" and will continue to evolve based on feedback. Ren can answer many questions, but her answers are all within the parameters of the Chinese Communist Party's rhetoric. [Oddity Central, 3/17/2023]

Clothing Optional

In the early 2000s, Joseph DeRuvo Jr. of Norwalk, Connecticut, had developed painful bunions on his feet, and his doctor suggested surgery to remove them, The New York Times reported. While awaiting his operation, he started going barefoot, and he soon realized his feet felt much better. "The tactile feedback just kind of makes everything else going on feel a little bit smoother," he said. Now 59 years old, DeRuvo has been barefoot for two decades, and he says navigating weather and terrain is easier than navigating people. He is sometimes asked to leave a business and on occasion, he fights back. "If I'm feeling feisty," he said. His wife added, "We get thrown out of a lot of places." But his shoelessness contributes to a mindful life: "I pay attention to every single step I take," DeRuvo said. [New York Times, 3/7/2023]

Recent Alarming Headline

KOKH-TV reported that on March 12, a woman in Dickson, Oklahoma, was attacked by her neighbor's pet monkey, Jack, resulting in her ear being ripped "almost completely off my head," the victim, Brittany Parker, said. "He started grabbing handfuls of my hair and just ripped it out," she added. Dickson police were called, and as they looked for the monkey, two shots were fired. "The shots came from the area of the victim's residence. Officers went back to the house and found that a family member of the victim shot and killed the primate," police said. Parker said she will need plastic surgery to fix her ear. P.J. Carter, Jack's owner, is distraught: "I lost my best friend and pet due to it all," he said. "He was my super monkey. I feel sorry for (Parker) and her injury. My friend and pet Jack lost his life over a massive misunderstanding and the lack of knowledge and education with an exotic animal," Carter added. The district attorney has declined to file charges. [KOKH, 3/17/2023]

Update

News of the Weird reported in July 2022 that Dean Mayhew of Sussex, England, had his Tesco grocery loyalty card QR code tattooed on his arm. While Mayhew claims he has "no regrets" about the body art, Metro News reported on March 14 that after eight months, he's saved only 18 British pounds' worth of points. His goal is to save enough by the end of the year to pay for his Christmas food. "Sometimes when I go in there, the cashier doesn't believe it's real -- I have to tell them, 'just scan it, please!' and they're shocked," he said. "I love the tattoo so much." [Metro News, 3/14/2023]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

Donald Matthew Santacroce, 65, really wants to go to federal prison. To that end, on March 6, he entered a Wells Fargo bank branch in Salt Lake City and handed the teller a note: "Please pardon me for doing this but this is a robbery. Please give me $1. Thank you." According to KSL-TV, the teller handed over a dollar and asked Santacroce to leave, but instead he sat down in the lobby and waited for police to arrive. During his wait, he mentioned that it was a good thing he didn't have a gun, because the police were taking so long. At that point, the manager ushered employees into a locked back room. The arrest report noted that Santacroce said that "if he gets out of jail, he will rob another bank and ask for more money next time" so that he'll be sent to federal prison. [KSL, 3/7/2023]

Bonfire of the Vanity Plates

Maine's vanity plate free-for-all is at an end. The state's review process for custom license plates was effectively ended in 2015, after which residents could -- and did -- put nearly anything on the tags, including profanities. Lawmakers have now had enough: The state is reestablishing a review process and recalling hundreds of "inappropriate" plates, NBC Boston reported. But resident Peter Starostecki wants to know: What's inappropriate about soy products? The state recalled his plate, "LUVTOFU," because it "could've been seen as a reference to sex instead of admiration for bean curd," as NBC put it. Starostecki is one of 13 motorists to appeal their plates' recall so far, all of which have been denied. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said vehicle owners can still express themselves -- but that they should do so with bumper stickers, not state-issued tags. "We have a public interest in keeping phrases and words that are profane or may incite violence off the roadways," she said. So, Maine motorists, consider yourselves safe from tofu-induced road rage. For now. [NBCBoston.com, 3/9/23]

It Was a Cuticle Emergency

Pop quiz: If you crashed your car into a building, what would you immediately do? Maybe call emergency services? See if anyone was hurt? We're betting you wouldn't answer with "get a manicure next door to the place I just destroyed," but that's what an Ontario woman did earlier this month. Per CTV News Toronto, which obtained security footage of the incident, a Jeep plowed into the storefront of Guilty Pleasurez Dezzert Cafe on March 3, shattering windows and destroying merchandise. Thankfully, the bakery -- owned by siblings Tanvir and Simran Bawa -- was not yet open for the day, and no one was inside. Tanvir rushed to the scene after getting a frantic call from the pair's mother, while his sister got the news from a worker at KC's Nails and Beauty Shoppe, the nail salon next door to Guilty Pleasurez. The employee told Simran that the driver was inside KC's, getting her nails done. Tanvir told CTV that he spoke to the driver: "I was like, 'Are you OK?' ... and she's just giggling. She's like, 'Yeah, I'm fine.'" His sister added, "I'm telling you, this whole time, not one single apology from them. ... This is pretty much my bread and butter." Simran said the bakery had sustained "serious structural damage," but that their insurance provider was requiring the shop to stay open for the time being -- despite the shattered glass and a front door that doesn't fully open. In the kind of understatement only Canadians can pull off, Simran said, "It's not been the most pleasant time." [CTV News Toronto, 3/6/23]

All the Cool Cats Are Doing It

If you saw the phrase "cocaine cat" trending recently, here's why: A wild cat that was captured in Cincinnati tested positive for exposure to cocaine, NPR reports. In events only recently made public, a big cat named Amiry escaped from his owner's car during a police stop in January. Soon after, local dog wardens started getting calls about a possible leopard stuck in a tree. Responders retrieved Amiry, brought him to a shelter and called in an expert. Per NPR, "The expert suspected Amiry was actually a serval: a long-legged, big-eared wild cat that is native to sub-Saharan Africa and illegal to own in Ohio." A DNA test confirmed that hunch -- and also found narcotics in the cat's system. (After an incident last year involving a monkey on amphetamines, the shelter now tests all "exotic" animals that come through its doors.) Amiry is currently living at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. He suffered a broken leg during his ordeal, but is recovering well, says lead trainer Linda Castaneda. "Amiry is young and very curious," she said. "He is exploring his new space and eating well." No charges have yet been filed against Amiry's former owner, but the case remains open. [NPR, 3/9/23]

Lookin' For Love

Sometimes, even the self-appointed top bachelor needs a little help. Robert Siegfried, 43, of Janesville, Wisconsin, was tired of dating apps and decided to try a new tactic, reports WISC-TV. He took out a billboard featuring a photo of himself; next to that are the all-caps words "DATE ROBERT" in what some might call a desperate shade of red, followed by "Wisconsin's #1 Eligible Bachelor." The sign states that Robert is "looking for a local, honest woman." Said lucky lady can reach him at the number plastered on the billboard. If you do reach out to Robert, you might want to ask him about the restraining order that was put in place against him last year, according to online court records, which is set to last for four years. Meh, that's probably nothing to worry about. Get dialing, ladies! [WISC-TV, 3/7/23]

Free the Torsos!

-- According to Berlin's local government, everyone will soon be allowed to go topless at the city's public pools, regardless of gender. Up till now, women who bared their breasts at Berlin pools were asked to cover up or leave, and were sometimes even banned, reports NBC. After a local woman filed a discrimination complaint with a government office for equal treatment, the Berliner Baeder-Betriebe (which runs the city's public pools) decided to update its policies. Doris Liebscher, the head of the office involved, praised the decision because "it establishes equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or nonbinary, and because it also creates legal certainty for the staff at the Baeder-Betriebe." [CNN.com, 3/12/23]

-- Owners of Club Castaway, a strip club in Whately, Massachusetts, are looking for a way to stand out in a "saturated" market, Boston.com reported. So they've decided to transition their business into a topless cannabis dispensary. "We do have some experience on the cannabis side and some on the nudity side," said co-owner Nick Spagnola. "We want to replace this nightclub scene and alcohol with something that is harmless in comparison." Club Castaway shut down during the pandemic and has not yet reopened; details and licenses for its new incarnation are still being worked out. [Boston.com, 2/28/2023]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.